Forest Flame (A Judith story)
by mysticorbes84
Summary: What would life be like for 16 year old Judith? She grew up in a post apocalyptic world and knows nothing else. She may be young, but she's been taught to survive her entire life. When an accidental death brings walkers back in her town, she runs for her life. But now she's on her own.
1. Chapter 1

**Setting: 15 years, give or take, after Terminus. Walkers aren't much of a problem anymore. The problem is the living. Sure, everyone is still infected. Every once in awhile, a town of survivors gets turned when someone dies unexpectedly and spreads that death. An occasional herd of 20-40 walkers can still be seen throughout parts of Georgia from these newly turned communities. The massive herds from years past, herds of hundreds of walkers, no longer existed. Starvation led to the majority of the original walkers to rot themselves out of existence. This post turn world is the only world Judith knows.**

She felt like she lived in the mud. Ever since Providence turned, her father died, and she lost track of her mother and brother, she'd been living on her own out in the forest. Thankfully, her dad and uncle Daryl made sure she knew how to survive. Things were better than her vague memories from when she was a little girl. And from the stories she heard around the fires, things were much better than when the turn first happened. Her brother Carl used to tell her stories about how their family survived, how her real mother died, and how they continued to survive with her as a baby. Stories about all her loved ones.

She didn't know what happened to most of them. She saw her father die. She knew he was dead. She saw a few others killed as well. Her family, which wasn't actually her family but a core group of survivors from the beginning, had been dispersed in mass confusion when a fellow citizen of Providence died 6 months ago. Susan died in her sleep at only 32 years old. She bit her husband. As he died, she got their children. Both ran off to get adults to minimize the damage, as the town had been taught. Both died before they could reach an adult. Over and over again, until her father woke her from her sleep. Living in this world, you prepared for everything. She grabbed her backpack and ran. Carl no longer lived with them, but down the road with his wife. She didn't see him that night.

Shaking her head to clear it of the memory, she scooped more mud from the creek, smearing it all over her body and hair. Unlike Carl, who inherited mom and dad's brown hair, her hair was bright, coppery, red. It was terrifyingly easy to spot. And being easy to spot was a one way ticket to dead. She kept reminding herself this as she coated the red with muck. The mud was for multiple reasons. One, there were still stray walkers. It covered her scent. Two, there were bad people in this new world. It camouflaged her person. Three, predators had come back. It covered her scent and camouflaged her person.

Deeming herself covered enough for her day, she picked up her compound bow (a gift from Uncle Daryl) and her quiver. She remembered when she first got her compound bow. It was her fourteenth birthday, and Uncle Daryl gave it to her, saying he'd get her a real bow once she was strong enough. She knew he meant a crossbow like his. He'd taken her out shooting numerous times. Unfortunately, she couldn't draw the crossbow on her own more than once. Smiling as she began tracking a deer, she remembered other gifts from her uncle. He was the one who got her weapons. He had scavenged a child's bow and arrow kit from a Bass Pro Shop when he did a scouting trip to Florida. That was her gift for her sixth or seventh birthday. An adult bow and arrow was given to her when she was eight. Not on her birthday, but rather the day he found it. The compound was her fourteenth birthday present. She was turning sixteen soon, and had been strengthening her arms in hopes he would give her a crossbow. But then, Susan died.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, she sighted the deer she'd been tracking. Stopping, she brought her bow up. Inhaling, she aimed. A shot rang out and the deer ran chaotically a few steps before collapsing. Nice shot, she thought. Slowly, she lowered her bow and waited. Four men approached the deer a mere 15 fifteen from her position. She'd seen them before a few times. She wasn't sure if the men in the group did the hunting and the women stayed behind, or if there were only men in the group. She'd bet money there were only men. She was a good judge of character, and these guys set off inner warning bells. She'd never spoken to the men, but she'd observed them on numerous occasions such as this one. Unfortunately, she was not as good at detecting others around her. She looked around, but if someone was camouflaged, like these men were, she sometimes failed to see them. Her uncle would've seen them. Her lack noticing details was made up for in her ability to camouflaged herself. These men gutted and field dressed the deer with her standing 15 feet away and hadn't a clue she was there. They joked amongst each other, finishing their task, then hauled the deer away. She stayed put for an hour after they'd gone just to be sure she wouldn't be discovered. The sun was already dipping lower in the sky, so she gave up tracking. Heading back to her camp, she shot a few squirrels for her dinner.

After cleaning them, she quickly cooked her squirrels and ate. Packing away what she didn't eat in a small bag, she headed to the creek to wash up. This was the most dangerous part of her day. She cleaned herself off at the creek every night before settling in. It was full dark when she reached the creek. As quickly as she could, she cleaned herself up. Grabbing her things from the ground beside her, she sprinted to her camp.

Her camp was a small hunting platform her and Uncle Daryl had used. Uncle Daryl had built it years ago, along with many others throughout the forests and abandoned cities in a 5 mile radius of Providence. This one was about half a mile from town, and the only one he'd taken her to. It was nicely camouflaged and built high up in a tree. There was no ladder; nothing to identify the platform as being there from the ground. Looking up from the base of the tree, even knowing it was there, it was hard to find. It took her four days after Providence to find it. On her hunts, she kept an eye out for others, but had yet to find any.

The platform was minimal. It didn't have a full floor. Merely a shelf here and a plank there for support and storage. She was lucky enough to scavenge a green tarp after the newly changed walkers had left town. Using that and some rope, she had a hammock tent her uncle had shown her how to make. She settled into it for the night, glancing longingly at the few books beside her. It was too dark to read, and she had hoped to catch enough game to skip hunting a few days to catch up on her reading. She got her love of reading from her Aunt Carol. Where Uncle Daryl would give her weapons and teach her to survive, his wife taught her to read and encouraged her to read as much as possible. She smiled, thinking back to her old life.

Originally she stayed close to Providence hoping that if anyone else were alive, they'd come back. Now, she stayed because it was familiar. If anyone she loved had survived, they weren't coming back.

_After reading a bunch of these fanfic's, I thought it would be really interesting to skip way ahead of the show and tell Judith's story. Not much happening in this chapter, but I wanted to establish her character a bit before getting into too much action. Hope you enjoyed!_


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own TWD or it's characters.**

Judith awoke how she always did. Immediately and without movement. She opened her eyes and stayed still in her hammock, listening to her surroundings. She stayed that way for some time, before finally trusting she was still alone in her forest. Climbing out of the hammock, she ate a quick breakfast of left over squirrel, before grabbing her things and heading for the creek. As she quickly covered herself in the cold muck, she noticed boot prints along the creek. Those men from yesterday were impeding upon her territory. A bad feeling sat heavily in her stomach. She grabbed her bow and quiver, heading out to do her hunting for the day. The bad feeling stuck with her, so she stayed relatively close to camp.

She had a small reserve of food that would last her a few days if she needed. Meat goes bad, so she had to cook a few rabbits until they were completely dried out, making a crude form of rabbit jerky. Uncle Daryl taught her to make the jerky once. Hers didn't taste as good as his but it was sustenance and it wouldn't go bad immediately.

She caught four squirrels. Since it was still early, she cooked those to dryness. She didn't want to come out of her camp again. The bad feeling still sat like a stone in her gut, getting worse as the day wore on. Knowing she should trust her instincts, she smothered her fire, dispersing all evidence of its existence. Walking back to camp, she decided not to wash up. It was only midday as she climbed into her camp. She climbed into her hammock, cringing as dirt filled her once clean bed. It couldn't be helped. Her gut told her not to clean up. So she didn't. The hammock was a bit noisy when she moved, but she didn't like sleeping outside it, terrified she'd move in her sleep and fall to her death. She didn't move much in her sleep. But there were always exceptions.

Since she made camp early, she decided to do the reading she wanted to do. She only had a few books. Favorites of Aunt Carol's, that she had given to Judith. Picking up her favorite, she began to read. Absorbed in the story, the snap of a twig nearby startled her. Slowly setting her book on her stomach, she listened.

Someone kicked at the ground, sending rustling leaves flying. It was nearby. Very nearby. The sound was coming from her right, not directly underneath her. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Let's make camp," a gruff, male voice called. She heard grumbles of reply and thumps as bags hit the ground. The familiar noises of tents being raised skittered up the tree to her ears. Moving slowly, she peaked over the edge of her hammock. The men from yesterday were setting up tents a few trees over from her. Perilously close.

Slowly easing herself back down into her hammock, she settled in for the wait. Patience, thankfully, was a trait she had. Her dad used to tease her, saying he didn't know where she got it from. He wasn't very patient, and neither had her mother been. But Michonne was patient. That was the only mother she remembered. She liked to think she got it from her, even if they weren't blood related. She wasn't blood related with any of her family. Didn't much matter to her.

She listened with one ear to their conversation, her brain sinking into memory.

"_Judith, wake up." My eyes flew up, looking up into my fathers. I sat up immediately. Pulling pants on, I grabbed my bag from beside my bed._

"_What's wrong?" I asked, lacing my boots._

"_Someone turned. Half the town's been bit." He glanced over his shoulder at mom, who was guarding the door with her sword. Finishing my boots, I grabbed my bow and quiver. Gripping the handle of a knife, I stood up._

"_Ready." As a family, we crept down the stairs. The house was eerily quiet, but I could hear screams and shouting outside. Deciding against the front door, we crept out the back. The back yard was still. We let our eyes roam over the scene, making sure there was nothing hiding in the dark shadows of the night. Mom motioned with her sword. Time to go. Leaving the pseudo safety of the house, we trekked across the yard. Mom took point, I was in the middle, dad at the rear. We went through the back yards of 4 houses before we hit trouble. Between the houses, a small herd of 10 walkers pushed between dad and I. I turned, my knife impaling the skull of the first, when dad shouted out orders._

"_Michonne! Get her out of here!" Her sword sliced the head off the next closest walker. Our little fight was attracting more from the main street._

"_Not leaving you," she whisper shouted back._

"_I've been bit! GO!" Mom stopped for half a second, before grabbing my wrist and tugging me away. Tears leaked from my eyes, but I kept moving. He wouldn't want me dead too. We heard his gurgled scream as we gave up the back yards for the madness of the front street. With more bodies running around, we weren't as likely to draw all the walkers to us. Mom and I fought our way to a side gate, intending to escape into the forest. Crowded across the gate were walkers. Obviously, someone else had made use of the gate. The walkers, unable to open it, bounced against it. Pulling me down into a bush, mom looked at me._

"_I'm going to draw them away. Get out the gate and into the woods. I'll find you." Nodding once, I watched her slip out and start yelling at the walkers. As one, the small herd turned. I watched her lead them off, before quickly slipping out the gate._

Slipping out of her memory, She concentrated on the men below her. She had waited 3 days in a tree nearby Providence waiting for her mom. She never showed up. That made her worried her mom was dead, too. If she was alive, she would have found her. On the fourth day, she came to this camp spot. She'd been there since. Desperately hoping someone would show back up. So far, no one had. And these guys camping below her made her realize no one would. She needed to pack up and leave. She remembered a fellow community, Hilltop, that her Aunt Maggie lives in. Her parents took her there a few times. She remembered that it's mostly north of Providence. Obviously, she would need to avoid the road they had taken to get there, sticking to the forests instead. Once the men left, she would pack her gear and begin the journey there. It would probably take her a few days to get there.

The men were tell crude jokes while they built up a fire. After the sun dipped below the horizon, she heard a familiar voice.

"Dinner," he mumbled, tossing something onto the ground. "I caught it, y'all can skin it." Uncle Daryl. Her heart beat a mad tempo against her chest, but she didn't move. Uncle Daryl was tough. He could make it with a rough crowd for awhile. She couldn't. Her gut still told her these guys were bad news, even if her uncle was among them. She listened in vain for his voice again.

As the sky turned black above her, and insects began their songs, she listened to the men below. Once they had all turned in for the night, she allowed herself to fall asleep. She woke at every sound, terrified her movements would alert the men below to her presence. She knew Uncle Daryl saw her there. This was his camp. He'd look up. And if you knew what to look for, you'd see her hammock. Her uncle knew what to look for. She also knew that he wouldn't sell her out to these men. If they noticed her, he'd risk his life for her. In the early predawn she woke. She normally awoke before dawn to slip to the creek and begin hunting. Lying there, listening to the rustle of men moving in their sleep, she heard a faint bird call. Slowly sitting up and peaking over the edge of her hammock, she saw Uncle Daryl holding a white slip of paper between his fingers. He glanced up and caught her eye. Showing her the paper, he slipped it under a rock, near the base of her tree. Picking up his crossbow, he slunk out of camp. He must be their hunter. She settled back into her hammock, waiting for the men to wake and move out.

As she waited, her mind reeled, trying to figure out her uncle's reason for being with the group. He had to have a reason. Uncle Daryl was a good person. These men were not. She heard Uncle Daryl come back to the group, having caught breakfast. They took their time, not moving out of camp until mid morning. She waited several hours after their departure before climbing from her hammock.

After gathering her things, she climb down and retrieved the note her uncle had left. In a hurried scrawl, the words "GO TO HILLTOP" stared her in the face. She wanted to speak with her uncle, but knew it would be risky. Carefully, she searched the ground for the direction the men went. Confident they were headed northeast, she ducked southwest for a few miles, before turning to head due north. She didn't want to come upon them again.

She made good time the first day, deciding to eat her store of jerky instead of hunting. She kept a very careful eye out for the men or their tracks. She saw neither. As dusk neared, she found a suitable tree and set up camp.

When she awoke, there was a small herd of walkers passing under her tree. She recognized a few of the faces. The people who turned at Providence had been walking aimlessly through these woods the last 6 months, slowly getting further from the town of their death. She hadn't seen any in the last month, thankful they had moved out of her territory range. Seeing them now confirmed her belief that she had made good travel progress yesterday. By the time the sun broke the horizon, the last of the walkers passed through. Slowly climbing out of her hammock, making as little noise as possible, she remained perched on a limb for another hour, observing her surroundings.

Deciding it was clear, she gathered her things and jumped down, landing almost without sound. She continued her trek north. Hours later, as she was thinking about making camp again, she discovered a boot print. Squatting down beside it, she studied it. It was fresh, made less than an hour ago.


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own TWD or it's characters.**

Her heart did a slow somersault before going back to its normal rhythm. She looked around, but didn't see anyone. The bootprints were headed north, so she decided to cut west. It would take her longer, but it would get her away from these men. Uncle Daryl's note had been urgent and he made sure the men weren't alerted to her presence, even if he was. That meant they were bad men, just like her gut had told her. Swallowing hard, she stood up, changing her direction west. She was now hiking towards the setting sun. Right before the sun could dip below the horizon, she found a small puddle and reapplied her mud. Couldn't be too careful now. She hiked until darkness settled down upon the forest. Swiftly climbing a tree, she set up camp and slept. Every noise throughout the night woke her. Her body was on edge, nerves barely below the surface. Three run in's with these men in as many days was scary and didn't seem coincidental. Something felt off.

Giving up at sleep, she packed up camp and headed out. Still apprehensive about the men, she decided to continue heading west until she stopped for lunch. Then, she resumed her slow pace north, constantly searching for signs of other people. She was about to stop for the day when she heard a twig snap. She stopped. Slowly, she turned to look behind her and noticed movement quite a distance away. Surreptitiously, she made her way to a large, overgrown brush. Making sure to leave no tracks that could be followed. Slowly, she removed her backpack and slide it into the bush, covering it as best she could before scrunching up beside it. The men were close enough for her to hear their murmured conversation.

"Well?" a deep gruff voice intoned.

"I'm lookin'," she heard he uncle's voice bark back. She could barely see their legs standing in a circle where she first stopped. Uncle Daryl was on his knees. She knew he could tell where the tracks went. She was good, but he taught her. She'd never been able to successfully hide from him.

"Well?" the gruff man grumbled again. She could see her uncle give the man a dirty look.

"Girl musta started covering her tracks cuz they end here." He stood up and started looking at the bushes around them. They were tracking her! That explained why uncle Daryl was with them. He must be slowing them down, leading them astray. She knew he could find her right now if he wanted, but he deliberately started headed away from her.

"There's some broken branches up here," he called behind him. She watch as his hands snapped a few twigs in passing. Her blood thundered in her ears, waiting for them to leave.

"Git back here Daryl," the gruff man yelled. Daryl stopped and came back. "Its getting' dark. Let's make camp here." Daryl shrugged nonchalantly, finding a small clearing for their tents as far from her position as possible. He tossed his bag onto the ground, muttering "whatever" under his breath as he set up his tent. They started a small fire, joking around with each other over dinner. She took this opportunity to observe them carefully. Last time, she'd been up a tree in a noisy hammock. This time, she was ground level. Trees obscured her view, but after hours of watching, she determined that there were 10 men in the group, including her uncle. Also, it seemed the gruff man who kept calling orders out was the leader. His name was Gary.

The men laid down for the night soon after the fire was put out. Moving slowly, Judith eased herself down so she could sleep a few hours before the men woke back up. When she awoke, Uncle Daryl was crouched down near her, playing with the dirt. Tentatively, he glanced over his shoulders to make sure no one else had woke up.

"You gotta git outta here, Jude," he whispered, barely audible even to her. She nodded once, knowing he saw. "I'm gonna lead them south, but I ain't the only tracker they got. When we leave, haul ass outta here."

"What about you?" she whispered as softly as she could.

"When I'm sure you made it, I'll make my escape. Was looking for you when they stumbled upon me. Get to Hilltop." He stood up, glancing around for game trails.

"Daryl! What you doin'?" Gary yelled at him.

"Was gonna see about catching us some breakfast. But you done scared all the game away," he yelled back, slinging his crossbow down in disgust.

"We got enough for now. You don't need to go off till tonight. Got it?"

"Whatever." Daryl leaned his crossbow against a tree and started taking down his tent. She waited nervously as the men ate and packed up. Thankfully, they were in more of a hurry this morning and were headed south an hour later. She waited until she could no longer hear their footfalls before slowing removing herself from the brush. Stretching out the kinks, she ate a quick breakfast before shrugging her backpack on. Being more careful to not leave a trail, she took off at a much faster pace, heading northeast.

She made good time, but ran out of food two days later. She'd have to hunt dinner if she didn't make it to Hilltop by then. She had stopped by a creek for lunch, cleaning her hands to eat. Now that she was finished, she scooped up the muck from the bottom, reapplying the mud to her body and hair. Finished, she shouldered her backpack and hurried off. Just as she was about to stop and hunt for the night, she saw a fence. Picking up her pace, she walked the perimeter of the fence until she came to an entrance. There was a guard watching the door. Recognizing Hilltop from her previous visits, she exited the forests coverage and approached the guard. Raising his gun at her, she halted.

"Far enough. Who are you?" Judith stared at him for a moment before she realized she needed to answer him. Clearing her throat, she tried to find her voice.

"Judith. Judith Grimes. From Providence," she croaked out. Her voice was hoarse from disuse. The gun quickly dropped.

"Shit, sorry Judith! Didn't recognize you with all the dirt. Get in here." As she strode closer, she vaguely remembered meeting the guard on one of her visits, but couldn't recall his name. Slipping through the gate, she muttered a thanks under her breath. She heard him on his radio inform her aunt she was here. Unsure what to do now, she stood in the entrance, observing the town. Weary and hungry, it seemed ages before she heard her aunt's southern drawl.

"Oh, thank God Judith! We were worried sick about you!" Aunt Maggie rushed up to her, pulling her into a hard hug. "What took you so long to get here?"

"Mom told me she'd find me. I waited for her." Aunt Maggie's face fell, slightly.

"No matter. You're here now."

"Carl make it?" She could tell by her crestfallen face that her mom hadn't made it here. She was hoping Carl had.

"He did. Come on, I'll take you to get cleaned up. Then we can go see him." Grabbing her hand, she walked her through the streets until they came to her familiar residence. Leaving her bag and boots outside, she went in and cleaned up. It felt good to have the mud off her body and out of her hair. Aunt Maggie had some clothing for her to change into, as well as a new pair of boots. The jeans were a little long, obviously being her own. Aunt Maggie was a tall woman. She, however, was not. Rolling the jeans up, she slipped the boots on and stepped outside. Carl was on the porch chatting with Aunt Maggie when Judith came out.

"Carl," she breathed, rushing to him for a hug. She felt him wince slightly upon contact, and pulled back a little so as not to hurt him. Tears filled her eyes as she pulled back. "I was afraid you hadn't made it." Holding up the stub of his right arm, he laughed sadly.

"Almost didn't."

"Shit, what happened?" Carl frowned down at me.

"First, watch your mouth. Second, I got bit. Mom cut it off, and Sandy wrapped it and got me out of there." Sandy was Carl's wife. His face fell slightly. "Lost track of mom after that. She cleared the way for me and Sandy."

"Who else made it?" she asked after a moment. She didn't need to clarify she meant from their family. He knew.

"I saw Carol bit. Daryl was with her and they were surrounded. Lost track of him, but Carol," he paused, swallowing the tears gathered in his throat. "She definitely didn't make it. One bit her neck."

I allowed the tears to fall, letting my exhaustion hit me. "Daryl made it. The last week, a group of men have been tracking me. He's with them. He's been leading them in the wrong direction as much as possible so they wouldn't catch up. He said he'd ditch them and come here once he was sure I was safe."

"How many men?" Aunt Maggie asked.

"About 10, including Daryl. No threat to this community here." Aunt Maggie nodded, pulling Judith close to her to a hug.

"Coulda been a big threat to you, though," Carl whispered, seriously.

"I know. They weren't very good trackers, though. I stood within 25 feet of them of 4 separate occasions without them even noticing I was there." A grin of pride spread over Carl's face.

"That's my girl!" She could see Sandy walking towards them with Dylan, Aunt Maggie and Uncle Glens little boy. He was 8, born during the turn like her. Glancing over at her aunt, she noticed her rubbing a hand along her belly.

"Something you wanna tell me?" she whispered, leaning close so no one would over hear. Aunt Maggie dropped her hand and glanced at Judith.

"Later," she whispered back. Judith smiled. Carl turned back to her, after greeting his wife.

"About 30 people in all from home made it here. The rest either died, turned, or decided not to come here."

"Sasha?" Carl shook his head. "Eugene?"

"Yeah, he made it. Said Sasha sacrificed herself for him." She nodded, understanding. Eugene was brilliant and all of their current advancement came from his mind. He was far too valuable to lose.

"How about Rosita?"

"She helped Sasha. No one saw her die or bit, but she hasn't been back."

"How's Eugene taking that?"

"Pretty rough." Carl looked down at his toes. "We got room at our place for ya."

"Your place?" she questioned, arching a brow.

"Been 6 months, kid. Yeah, our place." Punching him in the shoulder, she gingerly grabbed her bag, careful not to dirty her clean clothes.

"By Aunt Maggie. Thanks for the clothes." Giving her aunt a hug and kiss, she ruffled Dylan's hair before following her brother and his wife down the road. Thankfully, their home was close to her aunts, and Judith was able to collapse on her new bed. She fell asleep immediately.


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own TWD or it's characters. **

_I have read the comics, and do take those into consideration while I'm writing. However, I am writing it like I think the show will write it. Therefore, I'm trying not to mention things from the comics. Also, just because someone is dead in my fanfic does not mean they are dead in the comics, and just because someone is alive does not mean they are alive in the comics. I've taken liberties with the story. I hope those of you who read the comics can forgive me for that._

* * *

The next week passed uneventfully. Chipping in, Judith hunted every morning with the hunting group. She was able to get a few more items of clothing, and had settled into a nice routine. She had just come in from hunting on her seventh day at Hilltop when behind her, the entrance exploded with shouts and demands.

"PUT YOUR WEAPON DOWN!" Jimmy, the guard who had been on duty the day she arrived, shouted at someone. Pulling an arrow from her quiver, she rushed to peak around the gate. Seeing her uncle Daryl, who refused to drop his crossbow with a rifle aimed at him, she hurried to diffuse the situation.

"Ain't droppin' shit while you got that gun in my face," her uncle hollered back.

"That's my uncle," she said to Jimmy, placing a hand on his arm. Jimmy looked at her uncertainly, before slightly lowering his gun. Daryl's crossbow never wavered.

"About time you got here," she shouted, coming out from behind Jimmy. Daryl's crossbow immediately dropped to his side.

"Thank god," he muttered, running up to Judith. Pulling her into a bear hug, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Hoped you made it okay, Lil Asskicker."

Snorting at the old nickname, Judith punched him in the shoulder. "Told you not to call me that." He ruffled her hair once, before hooking his arm over her shoulders.

"You 'gon let me in and show me around? I want the grand tour." He motioned with his crossbow, causing Jimmy to duck. Snickering at the poor guard, she pulled her uncle in the direction of the gates.

"Yeah, come on. Everyone was worried."

"And by everyone, you mean you?"

"Pretty much." He laughed harshly, allowing me to follow him inside. Word of the commotion outside had spread quickly. Judith and Daryl were barely inside the front gate before her aunt Maggie rushed up, embracing Daryl in a hug.

"Oh, thank god!" she drawled, pulling him in close.

"I'm fine. I'm always fine," he muttered, embarrassed at the spectacle. She let go and smiled at him.

"Had us all worried."

"So I've heard." Carl walked up and gave Daryl a small hug before pulling back.

"Glad you made it," he imputed into the conversation.

"Where's your ma?" he asked. Carl shook his head.

"No one knows," Judith answered. "Come on. We'll go to Aunt Maggie's and let you get cleaned up. Then we'll talk."

"I dunt need to clean up." Sniffing at him delicately, she plugged her nose.

"Yeah ya do." He tugged her hair before following down the street. Everyone joked as they made their way to Aunt Maggie's house, but Judith could sense something was wrong with her uncle. She made a mental note to ask him about it later. Right now, they were climbing the porch steps and her Uncle Glenn was coming out the front door. Giving Daryl a quick hug, he smiled hugely.

"Man, I'm so glad to see you!"

"Yeah, ditto." Looking down at his feet, her uncle tried to diffuse some of the attention piling up on him. "Got some water I can use?" Years ago, before she could even remember, Eugene had designed and made water tanks for showers. Basically, each inhabited house had a tank that collected rain water. It was heated by the sunlight, and used for the shower plumbing that was already inside. If it was a cold day, or you showered at night, you froze. But in the summer, the water warmed sufficiently for a nice warm shower. He had explained it to her once, but it seemed much too complicated for a single person to tackle. However, he had only needed to build one and show how it worked before people lined up to volunteer helping him install them throughout the community. After Providence, he had gone to Hilltop and done the same.

"Yeah, man, let me show you." Glenn walked Daryl into the house, leaving the others lingering on the porch.

"We should probably let him rest," Judith suggested. Agreeing, everyone left to do their jobs for the day. Before Judith could step off the porch, Maggie grabbed her arm.

"Help me in the garden?" Nodding, Judith followed her to the communal garden. There were already people working, pulling up weeds and watering. Choosing a section no one else was working in, Maggie squatted down. Joining her, Judith pulled up a weed, waiting for her aunt to start.

"I think I'm pregnant." Mulling it over, Judith considered before replying.

"How far?" Maggie shrugged.

"It's only the second month since my period." Nodding, Judith chewed on her lip before replying.

"So, you'd be pretty early, huh?"

"When I was pregnant with Dylan, Eugene gave me a book on pregnancy. Been awhile since I read it, but I'm thinking 6 weeks?"

"You told Uncle Glenn yet?" Maggie shook her head.

"What if it doesn't make it? Don't want to get his hopes up too soon. I'm not even sure." Maggie and Glenn had been pregnant once before after Dylan. Maggie had lost the baby before she had even started showing.

"You should tell him." Maggie rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah, you're right." They weeded in silence for a few minutes.

"That all you needed to talk about?" Judith looked at her anxiously. She hated gardening, and her aunt knew this.

"Yeah, go git with the other hunters. Shoulda never let your uncle turn you into such a tomboy." Smiling, Judith knew she was referring to her uncle Daryl, and that she loved her, tomboy or not. She stood up, wiping her earth caked hands across her jeans. She'd have to swing by Carl's place and grab her bow, then she could maybe hunt in solitary for a few hours. Heading to Carl's, she was stopped by her uncle Daryl coming out of Maggie and Glenn's home.

"Got a minute?" he asked her.

"If you walk with me." He matched her stride, chewing on his thumb. Noticing his nervous habit, she added, "Spit it out already."

"Don't go off huntin' by yerself." He glanced around them, keeping a constant eye on his surroundings. It was a habit of his, that she tried to emulate.

"Why?" He wouldn't warn her without reason. She wanted to know that reason.

"Them guys I was with? They were headed in this direction when I split off. I don't want them comin' up on you out by yerself."

"Fancy a hunt?" He smiled down at her. His crossbow was slung across his back, as it always was.

"Yeah, sure." Reaching Carl's place, she ran inside for her bow and quiver. Slinging the quiver across her back, she situated the bow and they headed out a back gate. Neither of them were big talkers. Both enjoyed the comfortable silence between them, settling into their old hunting habits.

* * *

Later, with three rabbits tied to her belt, Judith stopped for some water.

"You gonna stay here?" she asked her uncle.

"Dunno."

"Why wouldn't you?" It wasn't an accusation. Judith was a curious girl, and her uncle knew she was simply curious about what might keep him from staying permanently.

"Carol." Not needing any further explanation, Judith nodded.

"She turn?" Judith asked quietly, a few minutes later. Shaking his head, he chewed on the side of his thumb.

"Didn't let her."

"Good." They walked back to Hilltop in silence. Wanting to get cleaned up before dinner, her and Daryl separated at Carl's, her going in to shower. The water was still fairly warm and she quickly washed the sweat and grime of the day off of her. There was to be a bonfire that night to celebrate her survival. Her aunt had lent her a dress, but Judith stared at it nervously. Deciding to wear it, she slipped it over her head. It felt awkward against her body, and she had to keep glancing down to make sure it was covering her bottom. The dress was a green summer dress, that stopped right at her knees. She didn't have any shoes except her boots, so she threw those on. Walking to her aunt and uncles place, she saw Glenn and Daryl talking on the porch. Waving hello, she tried to bypass them to see her aunt when Glenn stopped her.

"Look at you! Your Aunt Maggie make you wear that?" She nodded, fighting back a smile. Daryl chuckled.

"Can't 'member ever seeing you in a dress 'fore." Daryl flashed her a smile. "Lookin' good, Lil Asskicker."

"It's not a big deal, guys," she said, trying to shake off the attention. Smiling down at them, she let herself into the house. Maggie rushed down the stairs at her entrance.

"Thought I heard you out there. My god, look at you! Ain't you just a pretty thang?" Her southern drawl had thickened, and Judith suspected she was being made fun of. Shrugging her shoulders, she sent her aunt a smile.

"No big deal, really." Glancing at her feet, her aunt started laughing.

"Oh, my! You can't be wearing combat boots with that pretty dress! Here, I think I got some flip flops. Be a little big on you, but better than them boots." Maggie headed upstairs, with Judith close behind her. Bending down at the closet in her bedroom, she handed Judith a pair of plastic flip flops. Scowling at them, Judith sat down and removed her boots. Slipping them on, she was thankful they were more comfortable than they looked.

Maggie and Judith came out of the house. Carl and Sandy had joined Daryl and Glenn on the porch, waiting on them.

"Well look at that! You look nice, Jude." Carl gave her a small hug. Slightly embarrassed by all the attention, she smiled.

"It's just a dress, guys." Everyone stood, and they headed to the bonfire as the sun dipped below the horizon.

* * *

Thanks to Eugene and his smarts, the communities now had beer and moonshine. Beer wasn't as prevalent as moonshine, so it was only brought out on special occasions. Everyone deeming Judith and Daryl's return a special occasion, glasses overflowed and spirits were high. Judith was sitting in one of the battered lawn chairs enjoying the fire and environment when her aunt sat down beside her. She handed her a cup.

"I'm gonna tell him," she said at Judith's glare. Thankful for the smuggled moonshine, Judith took a sip.

"Soon?" she asked her aunt. She simply nodded.

"Yeah, of course. But I couldn't tell him tonight in front of everyone when he handed me a drink, could I? I don't want anyone else to know. Not till we're sure."

"I understand."

"I was thinking I'd tell him tonight, after."

"Good idea." Judith took another small sip, loving the burning sensation travel from her tongue to her belly. This particular patch was apple pie moonshine. Apparently, it was a Dixon family recipe that Daryl gave to Eugene once distilling began. But that was years ago, and knowledge gained from stories told on nights like tonight.

"I wish Beth were still here. She'd be singing right now. She would have had some poor guy go scrounge up a guitar years ago so she could play."

"Uncle Daryl told me she had a beautiful voice."

"Lovely. Absolutely lovely." Tears glistened briefly in Maggie's eyes. Wiping at them, she laughed at her foolishness. "I got sentimental about her when I was pregnant with Dylan, too." Judith gave her a small smile. Gathering herself, Maggie stood up. "You didn't get that from me," she warned Judith with a grin, before heading off to find Glenn.

Daryl fell down into Maggie's abandoned chair moments later.

"Gimme that," he said, reaching for the cup. Handing it over, she watched him take a large gulp before passing it back.

"Don't you let Carl see you have that." Both glanced over to where Carl and Sandy were talking with another young couple.

"I don't think he's paying me any mind tonight."

"Not now, but he probably will later. Just be careful. Wouldn't want Maggie to get in trouble for giving it to you."

"How'd you know it was her?" Judith asked with a smile. Daryl seemed to know everything.

"Watched her hand it to you. Plus, besides me, she's the only one who would let you have it. Since I didn't give it to you, musta been her." Daryl's body froze. Setting her cup down, Judith glanced around, studying the crowd.

"What's wrong?" she asked, unable to determine what had stiffened his spine.

"Nuthin'. Or maybe something. I dunno. Wait here." He stood up and began weaving his way through the crowd. Standing, Judith followed him. "Told you to wait," he muttered when she caught up.

"In my defense, you knew I wouldn't if you told me to." He smiled at her over his shoulder before coming to a stop in front of a small man with coal black hair.

"Yo, Jon. What you doin' here?" The man's eyes lit up with recognition and a flash of fear before he smiled.

"Well, hell Daryl! I knew you wanted away from those assholes, too!" With a glance at Judith, he smiled. "Pardon. You were terrible at hiding how much you despised the lot. Me, though. I hid it. Terrified I'd get found out. First chance I got, I hightailed it outta there. Actually, I need to thank you. You're disappearance gave me the opportunity." Daryl grunted in reply. The man swiped a hand across his forehead. "Yeah, lucky for me when you left. Those guys were bad news. Bad news."

Without any reply, Daryl turned around and walked away from Jon, Judith close behind. Back at their original chairs, Judith took a small sip before handing it to Daryl. Finishing the glass in one gulp, he set it down.

"I'll git you more," he muttered, making to stand. Judith put a hand on his arm, stopping him.

"No, I think I might need a clear head tonight, right?" Nodding, he settled back in his chair.

"Probably a good idea." They sat in silence for awhile before she brought it up again.

"Mind telling me what's up with him?"

"He was in that group I was with." Judith nodding. She thought she'd recognized him.

"Yeah, I vaguely remember him."

"Somethin' ain't right. I don't think he wanted out of that group. Somethin' ain't right." Daryl stared into the fire for a few moments more, before standing.

"Gonna tell Glenn about it." With that, he left. Judith stared into the fire, contemplating what had happened with the man named Jon. She worried her lip about it, until a young man sat down beside her in Daryl's vacated seat.

"Hi. I'm Dan." He held out his hand. She looked at it for a second too long before reaching out a shaking it.

"Judith," she murmured.

"Yeah, I know. Everyone's been talking about you. Heard you've been surviving out on your own since Providence fell." She merely nodded. "That's pretty impressive."

"I 'spose." Slightly annoyed, she turned to face him. She felt her heart slam into her chest as her eyes met his. He was quite gorgeous. Forcing a smile on her face, she decided to make more of an effort to get to know him.

"Your parents teach you that? Surviving?"

"Yeah. And my Uncle Daryl." He started laughing.

"That guy who had Jimmy in an uproar this morning?" Smiling back at him, she laughed.

"That's the one."

"Seem to remember you gave Jimmy quite a start as well." Judith shook her head.

"Nothing like my Uncle Daryl. I didn't have a crossbow trained on his face when I walked up." Dan laughed.

"Very true." Glancing at her empty glass, he looked back into her green eyes. She stared back into his baby blues. "You need a refill?"

"Nah, I'm good. Shouldn't have even had that one." At his questioning stare, she decided to elaborate. "My aunt brought it to me. I'm sixteen."

"Thought you looked a little young." Her heart broke a little, thinking he was no longer interested. Surprised, he settled back into the chair.

"I turned eighteen last month, so they finally let me drink. No more getting my older brother to smuggle me a glass. Not that there's much opportunity to be drinking anyway." She smiled, happy to hear he was close to her age. Music started playing nearby. Sitting up, Judith tried to find the source.

"That would be Eugene. I asked him to maybe get some music going so I could ask the pretty red head for a dance. Apparently he decided music was an okay use for that wind power he makes." His eyes burned as he looked over at her nonchalantly. "So, Judith. A dance?" Unable to find her voice, she nodded.

* * *

_I hope you guys are enjoying my Judith story. I have tons of ideas on what I want to happen, and were I want the story to go. Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own TWD or it's characters.**

The night passed in a whirlwind. Split between dancing and chatting, Dan stayed by her side the entire night. Her brother did eventually make his way over to her, chatting with Dan while her and Sandy exchanged pleasantries. Unfortunately, she was raised to be responsible, so after a few hours of enjoyment, she told Dan she needed to go to bed.

"So soon?" he asked, a smile glinting in his eyes.

"It's pretty late. And I have hunting in the morning." His smile broadened.

"So, you joined up with our hunters? Come on, I'll walk you home." She laughed silently at his offer. They were gated, and she was more than able to defend herself in most any situation. But it was gallant and it made her feel soft and special. A few steps in, he nonchalantly grasped her hand in his, and they walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"What do you do here?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"I work in the forge. My dad did metal work before the turn. With Eugene's help, he got a furnace set up. So now, with scrap metal, we can make almost anything we could need." She nodded, unsure where to take the conversation. She'd never been particularly good with people. She almost walked right past Carl's house when he stopped her. "This is you, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry. Daydreaming." She released his hand and turned to him tentatively, unsure how to say goodnight. Before she could think of anything, his lips softly brushed hers. He pulled back almost instantly, and pushed a strand of copper hair behind her ear.

"Goodnight, Judith." Leaving her breathless and staring on the porch, he turned and left. She watched as he continued further down the street before disappearing inside his own place. Shaking herself, she opened the front door. An indelicate screech escaped her seeing Daryl sprawled out on the floor.

"Jesus, Uncle Daryl! You scared me!"

"Here one week and already got yerself a boyfriend?" Daryl smiled over at her.

"He's not my boyfriend," she immediately defended.

"Not yet. But he will be. Just be careful." She gave him a quizzical look. "It's safer now, yeah. But things still happen. Thought Carol and I were safe."

"I get it. But, I'd rather enjoy the time I have with him if it's going to be cut short. You know, rather love and loose than never love at all."

"Been reading too many of your aunts books," he sadly chuckled, referring to Carol.

"Much as I can," she agreed. "Night, Uncle Daryl."

"Night, 'Lil Asskicker." Turning, she headed up the stairs to the room that her brother had given to her.

* * *

She had finally fallen to sleep when rough shakes woke her. _Not again_, she thought. Her eyes opened and focused immediately upon Daryl's face.

"Up." Without questioning his order, she climbed out of bed, dressed, and grabbed her bow and quiver. She grabbed a spare pair of boots she had gotten, since hers were still at her aunts.

"What's up?" she asked him once she was ready. She pulled a backpack onto her back, layering the quiver and bow on top of it.

"Another turn." Her eyes penetrated his as she mulled over this information.

"Not a coincidence." She stated. It wasn't a question.

"Nah." He led the way out of the house. Carl and Sandy were standing by the door having a silent discussion.

"Ready?" Carl asked Daryl. Daryl simply nodded. Opening the door slowly, he brought his crossbow up. Gripping her bow in her hand, Judith grabbed an arrow from her quiver, ready. Their lawn was relatively quiet, but chaos greeted their eyes as they looked toward Maggie and Glenn's house.

Daryl whistled, getting everyone's attention. He pointed toward the opposite end of the road, which would eventually lead to a back gate. Nodding, they all filed out of the house behind him. A few walkers impeded their way. A bolt and arrow put them down silently. Carl was holding a machete. His wife a mean looking knife. Approaching the house Judith had seen Dan escape into the night before, she halted the group.

"Gimme a minute." She whispered. Not waiting for a response, she jogged up to the door. Taking a deep breath, steeling her nerves for anything, she threw open the door. She nearly slammed into Dan, who was making his way out. Putting her fingers to her lips to indicate silence, she beckoned him to follow. Her heart thud painfully against her chest bone when a girl his age followed him out. Pushing the hurt down, she concentrated on getting out of Hilltop alive.

Rejoining the group, they made their way steadily and quietly to the back gate. Once out, Daryl led them into the forest. None of the walkers had made it out here, so they made good time. A few hours later, he finally stopped.

"Should be far enough now. I'll take watch." Climbing a tree, Judith suspected this was another of his hunting blinds. Not wanting to speak with Dan quite yet, Judith followed. Daryl grunted in response when she settled down beside him.

"Jon?" she asked him. She didn't have to elaborate. Jon was a fishy character from the men who tracked her. She wanted to know if Daryl thought he caused it.

"Think so," he muttered, eying their surroundings. She kept a continual watch as well. They were miles away, but a stumble in the right direction could cause a walker, or a hoard of walkers, to infiltrate their camp.

"But why?" she asked. Her uncle brooded over this for a few minutes before answering.

"Supplies. Think about it. Makes sense for a group of men to send one into a community they find. Wait till lights out, Jon just had to kill someone. Then he runs out and lets the walkers do the rest. Once everyone is run out, they go in and scavenge."

"Think that's what happened to Providence?" He nodded. Anger burned in her heart, replacing the hurt and jealousy from earlier. "Assholes," she muttered. "What are we going to do to them?" she asked, sometime later.

"We ain't doing shit. I'll take care of it."

"No." She would follow him or do it on her own. But she would get revenge against these men.

"Yer dad wouldn't want you to be killin' people."

"Those people are the reason my dad's not here." He nodded slightly.

"Yer brother won't like it."

"He'll get over it."

"I'm only agreeing cause you'd do somethin' dumb like do it yerself if I didn't." She nodded at him, confirming his suspicions. They sat in silence for a few more moments before Daryl broke it.

"What's up with you and Dan?" he asked softly.

"Nothing," she answered, not wanting to talk about it. The best part about her uncle was that he understood not wanting to talk. Shrugging, he simply went back to his watch.

* * *

The sun tinged the morning horizon magenta when she finally climbed out of the tree. It appeared as if no one had slept. Seeing her, Dan jumped up and came to her.

"You okay?" he asked her. She merely nodded, looking down at her brother.

"We should probably hunt. I don't have any food in my bag." Carl considered this.

"I'll go relieve Daryl. He can go with you. No one should go out alone." Nodding, she waited as her brother scaled the tree clumsily. He lacked the grace of climbing her and her uncle had.

"I could go with you," Dan offered from her side.

"You'd scare away prey." She remembered the loud clumsy steps of the entire group the night before.

"Oh." Hurt, he slunk away to sit beside the girl from his house. She looked angrily at Judith. Ignoring the look, Judith turned and walked to the edge of their makeshift camp, looking for trails.

"Find anythin'?" Daryl asked from beside her.

"No." Without a word, the two stalked into the vegetation. They hunted in silence, neither wanting to scare away prey. If they were honest, they had nothing to talk about. They had always existed in a comfortable silence, neither one being overtly emotional. Catching a few rabbits, and a possum, they headed back to camp. Done hunting, Judith looked over at her uncle carrying the possum.

"That possum is all yours." Smiling, he glanced at her.

"What? Possum's good for ya." Shaking her head, she faked a shiver.

"No thanks. Disgusting." Just outside of camp, they stopped to skin their catch. Finishing, they entered camp to find a small fire already going. Skewing the animals, they propped them over the fire. Daryl pulled himself back up into the tree. Waiting for her brother to come down so she could go back up, she was startled by a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she faced Dan and the girl from his house.

"Hey, Judith. I, uh, want to thank you for coming to get me last night." She shrugged, glancing back at the tree. "Uh, I wanted to introduce you to my sister." She remained looking at the tree, not wanting him to see the look of embarrassment that fixed itself to her face. Shaking off the emotion, she turned back to the pair and forced a small smile.

"Nice to meet you," she murmured lamely, shaking hands with the older girl.

"Heather," the girl introduced. "We're twins." Looking at the two of them, Judith kicked herself for being so stupid. Of course they were twins. Wanting out of the awkward situation, she glanced at the tree before turning to them.

"I've got to go relieve my brother," she muttered. She began climbing the tree. Settling herself up by her uncle and brother, she sighed softly.

"I can keep watch with Daryl for a bit." She glanced at her brother.

"I don't really want to be down there right now." Seeing her pink tinged cheeks, Carl relented. Carl climbed down and she scooted closer to her uncle.

"What happened?" he asked her when she didn't volunteer any information.

"It's his sister," she whispered. Daryl, always able to understand her, nodded. He allowed her to sink into her thoughts as they kept watch.

* * *

_Sorry for the short chapter! I'll try to make the next one longer._


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own TWD or it's characters.**

Later, when mouthwatering smells wafted up to their position in the trees, Dan appeared with some food.

"You guys wanted the possum, right?" he asked, half joking. Daryl reached for his portion gratefully.

"No thanks," Judith whispered, trying to bring a chuckle into her voice. She failed.

"I was kidding. Daryl's was possum. I brought you rabbit." He offered her the roasted meat. Taking it, she chewed on a piece thoughtfully. He hadn't left, instead settling himself on the branch next to Judith. Taking the hint, Daryl jumped out of the tree.

"I'm sorry for being mean earlier," Judith said after a few minutes of quiet chewing lapsed.

"It's okay. Why were you mean, though?" Dan asked. She looked him straight in his eyes before answering.

"I came to get you, and you come out of your house with a girl your age. Twins didn't cross my mind. To me, she was too close to your age to be your sister. It hurt." He chucked her softly on the shoulder with a fist.

"Next time, just ask." He suggested, smiling broadly. "It's nice to know you like me enough to care about something like that, though." Concentrating on her food, she nodded. He didn't break the silence until they were finished.

"You know what the plan is?"

"We'll probably get you guys somewhere safe," she answered.

"You guys? You won't be staying with us." Not trusting her voice, she shook her head. "Why not?"

"That wasn't an accidental turn. It was planned. Daryl and I are going to hunt down the men responsible for it."

"And what are you going to do when you find them?" he asked. She looked directly into his blue eyes, knowing his opinion of her would change with her answer.

"Kill them."

After everyone had eaten, Daryl led the group further away from Hilltop. After some discussion, he had suggested that they should hike away from the town for a few days before settling down. Daryl and Judith had explained to the group how this wasn't accidental. When they reached a new settling place, Daryl would go back to hunt up other survivors and send them that way. No one unknown was to be rescued, especially men. Judith allowed everyone to believe she would be staying with the group. She didn't want to argue with her brother the entire trip. Thankfully, Dan kept quiet about it.

Daryl led the group, with Judith at the rear. They had the best weapons for range and silence if the group were to come upon any walkers. After an hour of walking, Dan came back to her side. Seeing that Carl was way ahead of her, she slowed her pace slightly, to bring the two out of earshot.

"You shouldn't go after those men," he began. Glancing down at his hip, she noticed the sword dangling from a sheath.

"You have a sword," she commented incredulously, not wanting to start an argument.

"Made it myself. Don't change the subject."

"I should go after those men. They're the reason my dad's dead. And possibly my mom. And my Aunt Carol. And scores of others that I loved. We have no idea who even made it out of Hilltop. They have to pay."

"I agree they have to pay. I don't agree you should be an active part of that payment."

"My dad is dead because of them. I will be part of that _payment_," she spit out. Anger crept into her voice.

"I don't want anything bad to happen to you," he whispered after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't want anything bad to happen to me either. My uncle's trained me. I'm good at hunting. I'm good at concealing myself. I've met these men numerous times and they hadn't a clue I was with them. I'll be fine." He simply nodded, still not keen on the idea.

"Are you going to tell your brother?"

"Haven't decided yet. He'll say no and they're will be a huge argument. But he can't stop me from going. I might just bypass the whole thing and leave with Daryl without saying anything. Once he finds me missing, he'll know."

"You don't think he'll go after you?"

"I don't think so. He has Sandy to consider. Plus, he can't track for shit. He knows that."

"I want to come," he stated matter of fact.

"That's a very bad idea. I'll be worried about protecting you and you'll be worried about protecting me. We'll make mistakes. And," she trailed off, not wanted to hurt his feelings.

"And what?" he prompted.

"You're really loud." She glanced over to see him staring at her.

"I'm loud?" he asked, not understanding since they were whispering and no one had noticed their conversation.

"Yeah. I mean, I could hear you coming in the woods a mile away. You don't know how to step." Paying attention, he realized she was right. He also realized he couldn't hear her footsteps even though she was right next to him. "I've been trained," she said again.

They walked in silence for a few hours. Stopping for lunch, they found a spot away from the others.

"I don't want you to go," he stated simply.

"I know," she replied, afraid this would change everything between them.

"But I understand why you have to. I still don't like it, and I want you to reconsider. But I get it." Ending the conversation, they finished lunch.

* * *

They hiked for 4 days before coming across a small city that was mostly clear. Only a few walkers remained. Disposing of them, everyone settled into a house near the center. That night, everyone settled around a small fire in the backyard.

"Jude and I will hunt tomorrow, get you a small stock of meat. You'll need to keep up the hunting, and maybe do some scavenging. Get this place shaped up. The next day, I'm heading back out to find others. I'll send them your way." Slightly embarrassed from all the attention on him, he kept it short and sweet. Sitting back down, he let Carl take over, giving everyone instructions on what to do. Judith kept her mouth shut when he told her she'd be responsible for keeping their meat stocked. She felt sorry that she would be leaving the group without a great hunter. But not without a hunter. Her brother knew how to set traps and snares. They would survive.

Two days later, she set out with Daryl, leaving before the sun had risen. She didn't say goodbye to Dan. She didn't know how. He knew she was leaving. No sense saying goodbye. Creeping into the edge of the forest, she heard drumming steps behind her. Turning, she saw Dan running up the street toward them.

"You can catch up," Daryl muttered, giving them some space. He had completely disappeared before Dan reached them.

"You were going to leave without saying goodbye?" he asked, slightly winded from his run.

"Yes," she answered matter of fact.

"Why?" She shrugged.

"What good is goodbye?" Pulling her toward him, he kissed her. He felt her body melt into his, her mouth opening to allow his tongue access. Breaking the kiss, he started down at her green eyes, burning with passion.

"Don't die," he whispered. Smiling she repeated him.

"Don't die."

It took her a minute to catch her breath before she could head after Daryl. Seeing his trail, she followed in. A few minutes later, Daryl emerged from the brush to join her.

"Some kiss," he muttered. "Sure he ain't yer boyfriend."

"I dunno. He might be." Heading off the way they came, they headed for Hilltop.

* * *

It only took them 2 days to make it back to their first campsite. Without anyone to slow them down, they were able to quicken the pace. There were some shuffling footprints around their camp, indicating walkers had been there. Not staying long, Daryl chose a different direction to lead them back to Hilltop. He didn't want to be on their old trail in case those men decided to track the survivors. Getting close, the two climbed into a tree to look over the fence. Their were men inside, gathered near the back gate. A wagon was parked in the middle of the street, and the men were loading things in from the houses.

Judith looked at Daryl, in silent acknowledgment of their guess being right. They observed for a few hours before crawling out of the tree and away from the town.

"Guess we were right," Judith said, once they were far enough away.

"Yep."

"What's the plan?"

"Too many of them to take them out. We'll need to draw them away in small groups." Thinking about this, it took her a minute to respond to him.

"We could light a fire nearby. Let it get smokey, using some green branches. They might send a small party out to investigate."

"They'll be on guard if they come up on an empty fire still burning."

"Don't need to be empty," she whispered back.

"No."

"I'll just do it on my own."

"We ain't using you as bait."

"Why not. Can't be you. They know you. They don't know me. You can be nearby in a tree."

"What if too many come?"

"Then you fall back. Come up with another plan and rescue me."

"Not gonna happen," he muttered, shaking his head. "Those men will rape you first chance they git. I ain't leaving you to that. Too many come, I'm still attacking. We just might die."

"So you be a little further away, so you can scout them. See how many are coming. Then, you bird call if there's too many and I'll get outta there."

"I don't like it."

"Got a better idea?" Grumbling to himself, they set up a green fire. As soon as it lit, he took off. Night was approaching and he needed to get into position. She sat by the fire, barely keeping warm in it's insignificant flames. Her bow and quiver were lying next to her. Several hours passed before she heard the careful approach of the men. She waited until one stepped on a twig near her, before grabbing her bow and knocking an arrow. Standing up in bad form, she shakily held the arrow in the general direction they were coming at her. She knew it wasn't pointed at any of them, but she didn't want them to know she knew what she was doing.

"Who... who's there?" she whispered, instilling as much fear into her voice as she could.


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own TWD or it's characters.**

"Who... who's there?" she whispered, instilling as much fear into her voice as she could.

"We ain't gonna hurt you, sweetheart," one of the men answered, stepping into the circle of light her fire created. He held his hands up in submission, showing her he meant no harm.

"Is it just you?" she asked, knowing there were two other men with him.

"Me and Bob, here," he answered, beckoning another man forward. Slowly, she lowered her arrow. It was still knocked and ready, but no longer pointed at his chest. She could hear the third man circling around behind her.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"We saw the smoke from your fire and thought maybe we could help you."

"I don't need any help."

"Your fire says otherwise, sweetheart." Scowling at him, she glanced at her fire.

"What's wrong with my fire?"

"For starters, it's too wet. You have to use old, dry wood. Otherwise, you get a bunch of smoke and no heat. Fire isn't very warm, is it?"

"No," she admitted. She heard the third guy directly behind her, sneaking closer. A whistle sounded behind her and she brought her arrow up, her form perfect. "But if I had done it right, I wouldn't have attracted you."

The front guy swallowed hard. She could see the guy behind her start to inch away. Switching her aim to him, she loosed her arrow, sending it through his eye. Before the guy in front could blink, she had another arrow knocked and aimed at his face.

"You killed Bob!" he yelled at her. His arms started to slide down to his holstered gun.

"And you," she muttered, loosing the arrow. She watched as it slide through his eye and out the back of his head. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned around. "You get your man?"

"Yep. Coming to help you." Her uncle looked around the small clearing, seeing both dead men. "Guess you didn't need it."

She nodded. Putting out the fire, they left the men where they were. They wanted the others to find the dead men. It would inform them that they were no longer the hunters. They were now the prey.

After killing three of the men, Daryl and Judith headed away from Hilltop. They searched for other survivors. It would give them something to do while they allowed the men to sweat. On the first day searching, they found a small group of 8 people, including Maggie and Glenn. Walking into their make shift camp, Judith was embraced by her aunt.

"Oh thank god!" she breathed into Judith's hair. "I can't believe this keeps happening!"

"It doesn't keep happening. It's been planned and carried out," Judith said to her. Her uncle Glenn walked up.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Some men are causing it. Send a man in by himself. That guy kills someone, then slips out. Let the walkers do all the dirty work, then they go back a few days later and take all the supplies," Daryl explained.

"What are we going to do?" Glenn asked.

"We ain't doing nothin'. Lil Asskicker and I got this. You and Maggie are gonna lead your group to Carl. Set up a new community. Me and Jude will meet you there when this is finished."

"You're letting Judith help you. Rick wouldn't want that."

"Rick wouldn't want her going off and doing it on her own either. And that's exactly what she'd do if I didn't let her help me. But we got this. Already killed 3 of them."

"You're letting her kill people?" Glenn asked, incredulously.

"I'm right here, guys. Yes, I'm killing people. These people are responsible for my dads death. They have to die." Judith was tired of them talking about her as if she wasn't there.

"Revenge won't bring your dad back," Maggie whispered.

"I know." Judith looked down at her boots, then met her aunts eyes. "I have to do this. And Uncle Daryl is right. If he doesn't let me help, I'll do it myself."

Seeing how determined Judith was, Maggie relented. "Just be careful, okay?" Judith nodded. Daryl gave Glenn directions to Carl's camp. Watching them leave, Judith and Daryl started circling Hilltop for other survivors. The next day, they came across a group of 20. Giving them directions, they watched them head off as well. On the third day, Daryl and Judith decided the men had sweated enough. Time for plan B.

A days travel put them back at Hilltop. The men were still there. It was slow going now that they had to have guards around the gate. Splitting up, Judith waited while her uncle took up position in a tree on the left side of the gate. Once in position, he would give a bird call. She waited for it. Upon hearing it, she knocked, aimed, and loosed, taking down the right guard. She saw the left guard fall at the same time. Quickly climbing down the tree, she headed for the rendezvous point.

Daryl was there waiting for her.

"Four left," he muttered. She simply nodded. Together, they headed back to Hilltop. The wagon was still in the middle of the road, but no one was in sight. Walking to the gate nearest the back, they searched for tracks. Finding them, Daryl led them to the three men who fled. Finding them a few hours later, Daryl walked into their camp. Judith was in a tree nearby, an arrow knocked and aimed. Ready.

"Daryl! Thank god yer back!" the leader, Gary called as soon as he saw Daryl. "You won't believe what's happening. We're being hunted! Just us three left!"

"I know," Daryl said, spitting onto the ground. Gary looked up at him.

"You know?" he deadpanned. Daryl nodded, raising his crossbow up.

"I'm the one been hunting you," he stated simply. The guy next to Gary reached for his gun, but collapsed, an arrow poking out the back of his head. Gary jumped.

"What the hell?" Putting his hands up, Gary looked at the last man with him. Mimicking the position, both looked at Daryl. "But why?"

"Cause of you, bunch of my friends are dead. And that little girl you had me tracking. That's who just killed your man there." He indicated the dead man at Gary's feet. "She happens to be my niece. Cause of you, her dad's dead. I think I'll let her take care of you." Daryl shifted his aim to the man beside Gary and pulled the trigger. He heard the man thump to the ground. Gary had an arrow in his chest, but was still standing. Slumping against a tree, he slid down.

"Bad shot," he called to Judith. Emerging from the brush behind him, she looked at Gary as she answered.

"Nope. That's where I aimed."

"Why?"

"He'll bleed out in a few minutes. Figured I'd let him turn." Daryl looked back at her, seeing the hate in her eyes as she stared down at Gary. Grabbing a knife from his sheath, he leaned down to shove it into Gary's ear. Gary whispered to him. Pausing for a second, he ended Gary's suffering.

"Not how we do things." She simply shrugged before turning away. They walked back to Hilltop in silence. There was still one man left. Checking the gates, no other tracks were found.

"Maybe he stayed behind? Ducked into one of the houses once the guards fell," Judith suggested. Daryl nodded in agreement. They began searching the houses near the wagon. In the living room of the third house, they found Michonne bound and gagged, passed out on the floor. She had been beaten so badly, her face was nearly swollen shut.

"Mom!" Judith ran over to her. Cradling Michonne's head in her lap, she cried her tears onto her mom's face.

"Hey, baby girl," her mom whispered hoarsely. Looking around, she spotted Daryl.

"What're you guys doing here?" she asked, before passing out.

* * *

_Sorry for the short chapter. It was either short chapter, or no update. Figured there may be a few of you who wanted the update more than length._


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own TWD or it's characters.**

"What're you guys doing here?" Michonne asked before passing out. Judith looked up at Daryl.

"What do we do?" Daryl chewed on his thumb before answering.

"I dunno. We need to get her back to camp."

"Can't we just stay here? You could go get Carl and bring everyone back." Judith cradled her mom's head in her lap, allowing the tears on her cheeks to dry. Her mom was okay, no need to cry about it anymore.

"What's your gut tellin' ya, kid?" Daryl looked into her eyes, and she knew he was right.

"Staying here is a bad idea," she sighed. She hoped her gut feeling was wrong this time, but apparently, Daryl felt the same. She dug around in her bag, locating her water bottle. "Mom, you need to drink this." Michonne opened her eyes a sliver. Allowing Judith to pour the water down her throat, she swallowed greedily. They stayed how they were, sitting on the floor, Michonne's head in Judith's lap, occasional sips of water, for an hour before Michonne finally sat up.

"What happened here, mom?" Judith looked straight into her moms eyes, seeing the walls build up. Whatever had transpired between Michonne and the group of men, her mom wasn't going to tell her.

"Doesn't matter. We need to get out of here. Now." Michonne started to rise, but fell back down in pain and exhaustion.

"That's the plan," Daryl said, standing. He reached out his hand for Michonne to grab. Taking it, she gratefully allowed him to help her to her feet. Judith rose, too, shouldering her gear.

"There are bad men here. We shouldn't have stayed this long. We have to move. Now!" Michonne was urgent, her eyes wandering the room, her ears listening for any noise outside.

"We killed them, mom," Judith answered. Michonnes eyes slammed into her.

"You what?" she asked. Calm and slow. Judith knew by the tone her mom was angry.

"Daryl and I killed them. The men who took you," Judith answered. Michonne aimed her glare at Daryl.

"You allowed Jude to help?" she accused.

"Didn't give me a choice. You know well as I do, she'da done it herself. Figured I could keep her outta trouble lettin' her tag along," Daryl answered her accusatory stare. The fire in her eyes diminished slightly, and a small smile formed.

"Yeah," she muttered, agreeing with him. She knew her Judith. And she knew he was right. "We still have to leave. Those guys are with a bigger group. In a few days, those guys will come looking."

"Bigger group?" Judith asked.

"Yeah. Let's scavenge what we can carry and get out of here. How many survivors?" Michonne didn't care about how many were left, but who was left. Judith knew that.

"Carl, Maggie, and Glenn all survived. We set them up at a new camp. It's a few days hike from here."

The three searched through a few houses, gathering what supplies were needed most. Once they were laden down, the small group headed toward the new camp. The going was slow. Michonne was injured still, malnourished, and dehydrated. Additionally, all three were packed up with as many supplies as they could carry. In all, it took them 5 days to reach the new camp. Walking into the small town, they were immediately greeted by Carl.

"How could you just run off like that?" he asked Judith. It'd been long enough that his anger had mostly cooled. He still wanted an explanation.

"If I'd told you, you would have tried to stop me. It was easier not telling you," she answered. Carl frowned.

"I'm mad at her, too," Michonne said. Carl gave her a hug.

"Glad you made it," he stated, simply.

"Ditto." All four headed further into town. Sleeping quarters had expanded into 5 houses instead of the one they started in. Carl led them into the house that him and Sandy were sleeping in.

"You guys rest. I'll come get you for dinner. Unfortunately, no showers here. We do have a tub of water in the bathroom and some rags you can use to wash up with." With that, Carl headed out to do whatever chores he had left. Judith stood and headed to the bathroom to clean up. Michonne sunk down into the couch, grateful to get some rest.

"You need to talk about what happened?" Daryl asked once Judith was gone.

"I will, yes. But not now."

"Know anything about that bigger group?"

"A little. Overheard them talking. That group you killed? They weren't the only supply group doing runs. This bigger group, could be a whole town. Could be hundreds of people. And I'm betting mostly men." Daryl grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her.

"We'll talk later. Git some sleep."

Judith was sponging the dirt and grime off her body. A few minutes later, her uncle Daryl joined her.

"Yer mom's asleep," he informed her, taking a rag and dipping it in the water.

"Good, she needed it." Judith scrubbed at a stubborn spot on her arm.

"Something bothering you, Lil Asskicker?" She smirked over at him.

"Nothing really. Just wondering what that guy said to you before he died?" Daryl nodded, considering whether to tell her or not. Deciding it would be best if he did, he answered her.

"Said it wasn't his group who did Providence. Said Hilltop was the first." Judith nodded, scrubbing unnecessarily hard.

"Guess that means we have more people to track down." Daryl stared at her for a minute before nodding. No way he'd let her do it alone.

"Don't need to be in no rush, though. Your mom has information about them."

"I'll talk to her."

"She ain't gonna tell you, Jude. You know that." Judith shrugged, throwing the dirty rag into the water basin.

"What do you suggest?" Daryl eyes her thoughtfully.

"I'll talk to your mom. Then, we'll head out. Recon only." Judith shook her head.

"No way."

"Gotta get a lay of the land, Jude." Frowning, Judith stared down at the floor.

"Fine."

"We do this, we do it right. Got it? You listen to me on everything." Looking up into her uncles eyes, she saw the determination burning in them. He wanted the revenge as much as she did. Nodding, she agreed to his terms. "Good. Now, go find your boyfriend. I'm sure he missed you." Daryl smiled over at her, then turned back to the basin. Judith left the house, checking on her mom on her way out.

* * *

_Another short chapter. Sorry! It just seemed like a good place to end. I'm in school over the summer and I work full time, so I will do my best to get chapters out in a timely fashion. _


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own TWD or it's characters.**

Stepping outside, she allowed her eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight. Glancing around, she didn't immediately see Dan, but she saw her brother. Walking over to him, she waited patiently while he finished telling a member of their community what needed to be done.

"Hey, Jude. What's up?" Carl asked. Since she just arrived, there was no way he would ask her to pitch in. Judith shrugged.

"Was looking for Dan. Know where I might find him?" Jude glanced down at her boots, a little nervous to be talking to her brother about a boy she liked.

"He's out in a scouting party. Should be back by nightfall." Judith's face fell. Not wanting to sit around and brood about it all day, she figured she could hunt. It'd at least keep her mind off of things.

"Mind if I go hunt? Maybe catch us something for dinner?" Judith asked. Carl nodded, his mind already occupied with the man approaching them.

"Yeah, that's fine." Carl turned and entered into a discussion about the garden with the man. Judith walked back to the house and grabbed her bow and quiver. She didn't see Daryl around, so she headed out on her own. Heading south out of town, she kept quiet, looking for signs of animals. In the quiet of the forest, her mind wandered.

There was a community of bad people. Not too far, either. This had to be dealt with, and soon. Having just got back, she wished to be able to spend a little time with Dan, but she knew Daryl and her would probably need to leave first thing tomorrow morning. Chewing on her lip, she pondered this. How would Dan react to her going back out again so soon? It's not like there was much choice on the dating front. She could end up alone forever if things didn't work out with Dan. She rolled her shoulders, easing some of the tension. She could be alone, she supposed. Sure, she'd rather have someone to spend her life with, but she didn't need it. It wasn't necessary. She had her brother, her mom, and her aunts and uncles. She wasn't alone, per se. Sometimes it felt like it. She was so much younger than everyone else. It was really nice to have someone her own age around. But it wasn't necessary. She shouldn't dwell on it.

Pulling her string back, she loosed an arrow, watching the rabbit die instantaneously. She tied it to her belt to join the other rabbit and the squirrel she caught earlier.

Her thoughts kept returning to Dan. She really wanted him to like her. All of her. Including the part of her that wanted and burned for revenge. It was more than revenge, certainly. These people were a threat to their community. They had to be dealt with. But these people were also responsible for her dad's death. His death still gnawed at her heart after all this time. They had to pay.

Dan would just have to understand. Realistically, her and Daryl were the only people capable of handling this situation. Sure, Glenn and Maggie could help. They'd survived since the beginning of the turn. They weren't helpless. But Maggie was pregnant. She didn't need to be putting herself or her baby at risk. And Glenn needed to stay alive for Maggie. Out of everyone in the group, her and Daryl were the most disposable. She laughed at the thought. No way would she use that argument on Dan or her brother! Her mother could help. But she needed to heal. Her and Daryl could do some reconnaissance while she healed, then the three of them could take the group out. Giving up for the day, Judith headed back to the group. The sun was nearing the horizon when she walked into the new community. A fire was already going in the center. She saw Dan immediately. Dropping the kill off with Maggie to skin and skewer, she walked over to Dan. He enveloped her in a hug, pressing a kiss against her temple.

"I'm really glad you're back," he whispered into her hair.

"I'm glad to be back," she whispered back, knowing she'd be leaving again soon. The doubt and concern must have been in her voice. Dan pulled back to look into her eyes.

"You're going back out." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah. Have to."

"Why?"

"The group who did Hilltop was part of a larger group. Much larger. Daryl and I are gonna need to scope it out. These people pose a threat to us."

"Why you?"

"Who else? Daryl and I are the best trackers. Anyone else would get in the way."

"Including your mom?"

"She needs to heal. I'm sure she'll join us once she's better."

"I don't want you to go."

"I know. I'd really like to not have to go. I wish this situation wasn't here. But it is. These people are responsible for my dad's death and they're a threat to our community. They have to be dealt with. Unfortunately, I happen to be one of the best qualified to do something about it."

"I know." He heaved a heavy sigh. "When will you leave?" Judith shrugged.

"Probably first thing in the morning."

"So soon?"

"We have to take care of this as soon as possible." Dan nodded. Judith saw Daryl approaching them. "I need to talk to him real quick."

"I'll go get us a spot. Come sit with me for dinner?" She smiled up at him.

"Of course." She watched Dan walk away for a minute before turning to Daryl. He was scowling.

"Talked to your mom," he said, chewing on the side of his thumb.

"And?" Judith prompted when he didn't immediately continue.

"She won't tell me anything."

"Why not? We need to take care of this."

"Swhat I said. She insists on going with us. So she won't tell me nothing until she's well enough to come with." Judith cursed softly under her breath. "Watch that mouth, Lil Asskicker." She smirked at him.

"I'll talk to her later. We gotta keep at her. Or go blind."

"Don't like that idea."

"Me either. But she knows I'd do it. So maybe it'll make her talk."

"Maybe. I'm gonna bring her dinner. Sit and talk to her again. We'll see." Judith nodded, watching him walk away. Frowning, she turned to look at Dan. He was sitting on the ground away from the group, two plates of food in front of him. Walking over, she sunk down beside him. Grabbing her plate, she began eating.

"Everything okay?" he asked, noticing her mood.

"Dunno. Mom's being difficult."

"She doesn't want you going out again. It's what moms do. They worry."

"I guess. We'll go out anyway, though. Would just rather have her input, is all."

"Still planning on leaving in the morning?" She saw the hope burn in his eyes. Swallowing down the regret, she answered him.

"Yeah, I think so." He looked slightly crestfallen, but perked up immediately.

"We'll just have to make the most of tonight," he said with a smile.

"You're okay with this? You don't hate me?" She asked. Fear trembled in her heart, waiting for his answer.

* * *

_I would love some feedback from any of you who reads this. If you have an ideas or suggestions, throw them out to me! This chapter was a little hard, because I was trying to figure out where to go with it. I think I have the next few chapters figured out, but I'll need to come up with more problems for the community and Judith if I wanna keep this going. So if you have any ideas, please let me know! Thanks guys!_


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own TWD or it's characters**

"You're okay with this? You don't hate me?" She asked. Fear trembled in her heart, waiting for his answer.

"Course I don't hate you," Dan replied, a smile on his face and concern written in his eyes. "Why would I hate you?"

Judith chewed on her bottom lip, considering his question. "I keep running off to get revenge. I keep putting myself in dangerous situations." Her eyes studied the dirt at their feet.

"I'll worry and wish it was someone else going out every time you leave. But I understand. You are the best qualified for this situation. And if I'm honest, simply living anymore is a dangerous situation. This is life." He smiled at her, then set his plate down. Grabbing her chin in his fingers, he leaned toward her. "Gonna take a lot more than that to scare me away."

Closing the distance, Judith kissed him softly. "Good," she whispered, pulling away slightly. She pushed all the worries and insecurities from her mind and enjoyed the night.

* * *

After dinner had been eaten and the fire burned out, Judith said goodnight to Dan. Walking in the front door of her brother's place she saw her mom awake and sitting on the sofa next to Daryl.

"Hey mom. How're you feeling?" Judith asked, sinking down onto the sofa next to her mom. Daryl stood.

"Let y'all talk," he muttered as he left the room.

"I woke up feeling better. Then your uncle talked to me. You can't go after this group, Jude. It's dangerous."

"Life's dangerous," Judith murmured, stealing Dan's words.

"Not as dangerous as going after these men."

"If we don't go after them, they might come after us. They will come after us. I don't think they'll take lightly to a bunch of their men being killed."

"I agree. Which is why Daryl and I will go after them. Not you."

"I'm almost as good as Daryl, and better than you when it comes to tracking and hunting. Why shouldn't I help?"

"Because your sixteen. You're still a child." She glared over at Judith. "You're not better than me."

"Yeah I am. And I'm not a child. Not in this world. Maybe before the turn, back in the world you grew up in sixteen was still a child. But this world here? This world I grew up in? I'm not a child. I haven't been a child since I was eight."

Michonne glared at her, hating that she was right. "You're my daughter. I don't want you in any unnecessary danger."

"I know. But this is my job in the community. I lived for 6 months on my own, dodging these men. I'm good mom. And I'll be careful."

"They did terrible things to me. If they catch you. . ."

"They won't." Michonne sighed heavily.

"The main group is dangerous. More so than Gary's group. Those men you and Daryl killed? Those were the weakest of the group. The main group is evil. They cannot catch you, Jude."

"They won't. I'll stay disguised. With a little mud, even Daryl has trouble seeing me in the woods. I stood right next to Gary's group on multiple occasions and they hadn't a clue I was there."

"Don't judge the main group based on your experience with Gary's group."

"I know. It's just recon. Just to gather information. We won't make a move until you're better and can join us."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Michonne pulled Judith into her lap, wrapping her arms around the petite girl.

"I love you, Jude. I understand your need to do this. It's the same as mine. Just remember that this won't bring him back."

Tears pricked Judith's eyes, pushing against her willpower to escape in little rivulets down her cheek. "I know."

"Don't you dare let them catch you."

* * *

The next morning, Judith awoke and gathered her gear for her recon trip. Her mother didn't give her much information, but she was certain she gave the info to Daryl. Coming down the stairs, she saw Daryl in the kitchen.

"We a go?" she asked. Nodding, he tossed her some jerky.

"Yeah. You ready?"

"Course." They chewed on their breakfast in silence. The rest of the house was asleep, darkness covering the outside like a blanket.

"You tell yer boyfriend?"

"Course," she muttered, taking another bite of jerky. She didn't want to think about Dan.

"Carl?"

"No. You?"

"Nah, not my brother." He paused to chew a large bite. "Yer mom will tell him."

"She give you any info last night?"

"Yeah." She waited for him to elaborate. When he didn't, she prompted him.

"And?"

"Tell you on the way." Grabbing his crossbow, he headed out the front door. Scrambling with the remainder of her breakfast and her gear, she followed. They walked in silence for quite some time. She began to wonder whether he would fill her in on what her mom had told him. She opened her mouth, prepared to asked when he started talking.

"Gary's group was weak. S'what your mom says, anyway. The main group is stronger. Gotta assume they got a good tracker. We're gonna have to be extra careful out here."

"Yeah, mom told me that."

"Your mom didn't tell you everything. She wouldn't. And I shouldn't either, but I'm going to. Don't you tell your mom I told you this."

"Promise." Fear nibbled the inside of her stomach.

"Those men that got your mom? They raped her. And beat her. And raped her some more. You know what rape is?" Realizing she might not, he questioned her.

"Yeah. I read."

"Well, whatever rape you read about, you multiply it by 100 and you might get the idea of what your mom went through. If you get captured, it will kill her. She won't survive that. Got it?"

"I won't get captured," she muttered under her breath. She was sick of everyone thinking she was so weak as to get captured.

"You'll do your best not to be captured, I know. I'm tellin' ya, though. You get captured, yer mom's dead. She won't survive that guilt and worry. Got it, kid?" She scowled, but nodded. Silence poured over the pair as they traipsed through the woods. Hearing a stream, Judith paused.

"Head toward the stream," she stated. Without question, her uncle turned toward the stream. Once there, she covered herself in mud, making herself invisible in the woods. Daryl watched her. "You should coat up, too."

"Nah," he said, shaking his head. "These people as good as your mom says, I'd rather they catch me." Deciding to ignore him, Judith finished her mud coating. Nodding at Daryl, they continued in the general direction of Hilltop.


End file.
